Cornfields in Moonlight
by UndeservingHero
Summary: Dean hasn't forgotten what today is.


Autumn smells like open sweet cornfields in the moonlight as Dean drives the Impala down the two lane blacktop in the middle of his home state. He inhales deeply and ignores the beginning of hayfever that makes the back of his throat itch. He sighs out the breath in a great gust of thankfulness that's led him back here.

He's almost to Lawrence when he pulls off on the side of the road and cuts the engine. He turns the lights off and slides down in his seat to close his eyes and just _rest_ for a minute. He has nowhere that he has to be right now and he doesn't particularly want to go any further just yet.

Sam's at the bunker working on putting all of the books there into a database that hunters can access from all over the world and he's okay with that. He knows Sammy's safe and that's all that really matters to him if he's being honest with himself.

But tonight, he's headed back home for a special reason.

So he gets around to the whole reason he was driving back to Lawrence in the first place. He opens his eyes and gets out, sitting on the hood before he looks up at the bright moon making it almost like daylight and the blanket of stars that shine around it. "Hey, Cas, you got your ears on tonight?"

He hears the subtle rustle of wings behind him but doesn't turn. "Hey, Cas."

"Hello, Dean."

He half-smiles. "Been okay?"

"Yes, Dean."

He turns to look at him then. His hair is ruffled, tipped silver by the moonlight and his tie is backwards. Again. "Got something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh?" Cas walks closer and stands too near Dean.

He's almost used to it now, but he won't say that outloud. "Yeah. Wondering if you wanted to come to Lawrence with me."

"Is there something we need to do in Lawrence? Is there something about the tablets there?" His voice is instantly stern and all business as Dean tries to hide his smile.

"No, Cas. Listen... Just come with me. It'll make sense."

"I don't understand, Dean. If it's not about the tablets, then why did you call me?" His eyes cut through the darkness and Dean can see them glitter with his annoyance.

"Cas, just shut up and trust me, okay? Get in the car."

"But Dean-"

"Cas, shut up. And get in the car." He slid off the hood and got in, waiting on Cas to cooperate. By the frustrated look of Cas's body language, he still didn't understand. But that was a good thing. It went a long way to keeping what Dean had planned under wraps.

Finally, Cas gave in.

Dean started the Impala and started driving again, waiting for Cas to ask him again.

He wasn't disappointed for long.

"Dean, where are we going?"

"Lawrence."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Another forty minutes of driving and they'd had the same conversation four times more before Dean pulled into the driveway of a small house. He got out and waited for Cas, standing next to the car as it ticked quietly, cooling off in the crisp air.

"Who lives here?" Cas asked, business voice back as he looked up at it.

Dean held out his hand so Cas could see what was sitting in his palm. Two keyrings sat there on the roughened pads of his fingers. "We do."

Cas looked up at him, brows knitted in confusion. "I don't understand, Dean. I am without the need for a human place to sleep."

Dean smiled slightly and shook his head. "You don't get it." He took Cas's wrist and dropped one of the keys into his hand. "I know you don't actually need the key, but you can use it when you want to. I bought this place so if I'm not at the bunker, we've got a place to crashland. I bought it so you could have a place to call home. Remember what it was like... after the fall?"

Cas was watching him with intent eyes. "How could I forget something like that, Dean."

"Exactly. But... you didn't have a place to stay. This is it for you. It's yours if you want it. It's sort of a birthday present for you." Dean's cheeks were burning, but he was determined about this. He didn't want to see the absolutely broken look on Cas's face ever again.

"But Dean, I was never born on Earth."

Dean snorted. "You have no idea what today is, do you?"

Cas shook his head, still not getting it.

"Today is the day you gripped me tight and raised me from Perdition."

Blue eyes flared and his fingers slowly closed around the key. "Oh."


End file.
